Help Kickstart Bar Norman, Portland’s Newest Natural Wine Bar

Portland, there’s a new natural wine bar coming your way in the next few months. Bar Norman is the Southeast’s newest splash out spot, brought to you by the one and only Dana Frank, former somm at such establishments as Ava Gene’s, Grüner, Dame, and with Holdfast Dining; creator of the Natty by Nature pop-up series; and soon-to-be published author. And Frank and company need your help with the finishing touches, so she has setup a Kickstarter page in hopes of earning the last $35,000 needed to make Bar Norman a reality.

Bar Norman looks to be an exciting addition to a rapidly expanding natural wine scene in Portland. The 30-seat bar will feature over 25 by-the-glass options, with a space setup for “classes, tastings, dinners, and dance parties,” which will no doubt include a session or two of Natty by Nature, with golden-era hip hop curated by Frank’s partner and Bow & Arrow winemaker, Scott Frank.

But more than anything, you can expect really good wine from Bar Norman. From the Kickstarter:

We’ll serve natural wine, the slightly controversial beverage made from grapes, and not much else. We won’t adhere to any dogma, but we’ll support growers who don’t spray chemicals in their vineyards and farm organically and/or biodynamically. We’ll celebrate winemakers who allow their juice to ferment naturally, without the use of commercial yeasts, and who don’t add anything to their wine except a little sulfur. Bar Norman will sit at the crossroads of the cool young guns in the natural wine world, and the old guys who have been making natural wine since before anyone talked about what natural was. Most importantly, you’ll be able to drink real wine that tastes good.

The funds from the Kickstarter will go towards acquiring “necessary equipment” for the bar, including “proper heating and air conditioning system, wine coolers, and a hot water heater.”

As of writing this, the Kickstart campaign is approaching the $15,000 mark with 22 days left to go. Contributions start as low as $10 going all the way up to $5,000, with rewards including: Bar Norman corkscrews, autographed copies of Frank’s new book Wine Food, a personalized wine consultation with Frank, all the way up to a private event for you and 30 of your closest friends.